“In March 1994, a beautiful turn-of-the-century building on Strandvägen in Stockholm burned down. Helene Schmitz grew up in an apartment in the building, and coincidentally the conflagration
had started in that very flat. Soon after the fire, Schmitz documented the suite of rooms. The result was a remarkable series of photographs:
There are pictures of devastation and fire-ravaged memories. But paradoxically, many of the pictures are quite beautiful. Soot covers the walls and objects like fresh snow, creating harmonious patterns.
For some reason, the fire spared some deep-red drapes. Their contrast against the sooty gray / black walls is beautiful. It’s an unsettling beauty.” – John Peter Nilsson, translated quote
The “Livingroom” series features eight different images, taken in Schmitz’s childhood home. They were shown for the first time at the Galerie Aronowitsch in the winter of 1996 and have since been exhibited in several places in Sweden, France and Finland.